Bartender
by Elsie Grandewing
Summary: Sakura was your daily defence attorney, finding that one day she fell madly in love with the prosecution. Who is their matchmaker? Her apprentice. Meet Elsie, the white fox next door. [SasuSaku] [OC Warnings]
1. Prologue

Author's notes: This actually started out as a sort of essay entry for a competition ("Everything suddenly went quiet", continue with the phrase.), but I decided to reuse it as a fanfic. Has an OC inside which will play as a sort of matchmaker. I hope you enjoy the first instalment of "Bartender"!

POV Alert: Elsie's turn. (OC)

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The resonance of the dull telephone calls resounded throughout the dull office, several co workers beside me trying very hard to finish their report on the market before twelve noon. I just worked as a secretary, picking up phone calls if my boss was absent and such. Sounds like an easy enough job I'm sure, but Sakura does not like to get her mocha latte cold that's for sure. It's like…her crack or something, if I may be allowed to make such a rude statement.

"ELSIE! I need you to print these documents for the court case at two thirty tomorrow, these are seriously important, so you better work on it fast!" Sakura beamed at me with her apple green eyes. She was a nice boss, sure enough, but sometimes quite forgetful…I readjusted my stubborn blonde hair and freed from its usual strict ponytail, letting it touch on my shoulders. I observed the documents with disinterest as I flipped through the papers, trying to find any slips or mistakes. Unusually, there was none.

"Come on Elsie, you don't think that I would always make a small grammar mistake in every document? Surely you must have a higher opinion of me!" She beamed further, flashing a small grin. "After all, I am a defence attorney." She said, making a sort of statement to her claim while flipping a strand of hair to one side by tilting her head. I fumbled quietly as my glasses slipped on the bridge of my nose again.

"N-no Sakura…It's just that—" I started coughing abruptly. Sakura frowned as she placed her arms on her hips, a sort of stance that she developed when got used to the feeling in court, the feeling when you get a point across the room to be precise.

"Elsie, you shouldn't work too hard when you already have that bad a cough!" Sakura proceeded to gently pat me on the back. I brushed back my hair behind my ear as I stifled my cough. "No I'm okay…I just have a habit of not drinking too much water…" My voice trailed off as Sakura's eyes widened with disbelief.

"NOT DRINKING TOO MUCH?! Elsie you don't take breaks at all, you don't even go to the toilet, heck you don't even go down a level and buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks!" Sakura slammed her hands on the table defiantly. "Elsie, go and take a break. Now." I hesitated and opened my mouth to persuade her, but she interrupted me with that small "tut" of hers when she found a contradiction in a witness' testimony.

"OBJECTION!" She yelled. "You see? You can't even take a simple five minutes off." Her eyes scanned my notice board and met my six minute segmented timetable. "And what is this…?" She tore the paper carelessly, a piece of paper still held on by a pin. I looked down and casted my glance on my lap, trying to ignore the stares that I was getting from other people.

"NO BREAK AT ALL?!" Sakura slammed her hands on the desk once again, causing the objects on the desk to jump up. I mustered up every single shred of courage and glanced up to find the attorney gazing at me, overwhelmed.

"Elsie…" She started, flabbergasted. "If you don't take a break now, then you won't come with me to court case tomorrow." I stared at her with disbelief, on her lips a small smirk. "You are such a workaholic Elsie…" She said as she took a fountain pen and scribbled down an address on the back of my timetable. I peered timidly as she quickly wrote in a nice century gothic handwriting.

"Just meet me at this bar here, and we'll discuss about…" She trailed off, and raised her hands to do an inverted comma hand sign. "Your daily timetable." I adjusted my spectacles again and frowned inwardly. Before I could protest she was off like the wind. I sighed and peered at the address.

"Genesis…?"

--- --- ---

Everything suddenly went quiet as I pushed through the heavy oak wood doors. Several heads turned to look at me that had interrupted their leisurely chat, some continued to sip their respective alcoholic beverages. I shifted my eyes as I tried to adjust to the dim lighting of the bar. The regular buzz continued, the familiar sound of the soft chime of glasses clinking towards each other and friendly exchanges of conversation. There was an almost humble atmosphere to the bar.

I strode quickly towards the counter and immediately took out my sketch book. From young I had a small obsession of drawing sceneries using the usual check back contour technique, a way of drawing objects using only a single line. My parents, seeing an artistic habit developing, offered to supply art materials for me. But the child in me had politely turned down their offers, knowing that it would only be a small hobby. I had the inability to continue things once I had lost interest in it, but strangely the "hobby" had continued for as long as I can trace back into my childhood.

"Shall I take your order?" A low voice rang throughout my ears, leaving a deep impression in my mind. I glanced up to find a thin man gazing down at me. His eyes were filled with an aptitude of calmness. If you looked closely enough into his black pupils without blinking, you could see several specks of gentian blue, my favourite crayon I used to carry around with me when I was still in kindergarten. Several wisps of raven hair blocked his gaze as he waited patiently for me to reply. I quickly snapped out of my reverie and blushed slightly.

"No thanks…" I paused for a while. "I'm sort of waiting for a friend." I returned to my gaze to the currently empty page. He nodded in response, smiling calmly as he returned to wiping the glass he held in his hand. Usually I could think of something when I had touched the tip of the fine tip marker, but I could not think of anything, with pen poised in the air.

"Are you an artist by any chance?" I raised my gaze to find him observing me, an interested glint in his eyes. I recapped the marker and let out an inaudible sigh. "I only take it up as a hobby, since I have the habit of giving up half way once I lose interest." I replied, flipping absently to previous pieces. The pictures seemed endless; you could tell there was a hint of gradual improvement in them, the lines becoming much more confident and bolder with every flip of a page.

"It seems your friend must have let the appointment slipped their mind…" I closed the sketchbook with dissatisfaction, frowning inwardly. "She tends to be forgetful at times." I mustered a thin smile and unexpectedly let out a rather irritating cough. His eyes suddenly filled with concern. "That doesn't sound too good…" He muttered under his breath. I struggled to keep my raspy cough under control, noting that people were starting to stare.

"I'm not feeling too well these days…" My voice trailed off as phlegm started to gather. I looked up to find the bartender reaching out for a glass and disappeared under the counter. He came back into view with a honey jar in his hand and a small spoon utensil. He swiftly disappeared into the kitchen with fluid like movement, the back doors swinging on its hinges. I tried to clear my throat with no luck. I usually could stand Sakura's forgetfulness, but leaving her sick friend in the bar was a bit too much. A steamy drink was placed on the counter in front of me. I looked up expectantly to find the bartender smiling thoughtfully at me, drooping eyes and all.

"It'll soothe your throat." He said. I timidly sipped the drink, a slightly sweet and gentle taste invading my taste buds. The steam immediately condensed on my glasses as I gulped down the beverage hungrily. I set down the glass and thoughtfully licked my lips, savouring the honey taste. "Where did you get the recipe?" I questioned. He smirked a little and replied. "It was passed down from my family for generations." He paused to observe me closely, as in taking in every detail of my face for the first time. I blushed timidly under his scrutiny. I finally remembered that I didn't bring my wallet since Sakura would be treating me.

"Umm…I sort of forgot to bring my wallet…Since my friend said she would be treating me…" The bartender interrupted me before I could continue and flashed another beaming smile at me. "No worries." He winked at me, causing me to blush even further. "It's on the house." He returned to dutifully wiping the glass. I inhaled the honey scent and sighed peacefully.

"Someone's happy." He smirked as he monitored the bar submissively. "Do you work through the night?" He nodded his head in response. I felt a ghost of a smile pass my lips for the first time in a long while. "If it's too rude of me to ask personal questions, I can keep quiet." He peered at me with interest, a small smile had settled on his lips again. I opened my mouth again to speak, but found that I couldn't utter any words. He smirked a little and gave the answer to the unsaid question.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

--- --- ---

The morning rays shone into the windows of my apartment as I scooped my hair into its usual ponytail. Today was the day of my first trial! Though I was only going to helping Sakura…I quickly dressed up in my usual suit when my cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID while stuffing everything that I needed for the trial later on. It was Sakura…Probably about to apologise for the other night. I flipped open the phone and took it away from my sensitive eardrums immediately as Sakura's chirpy and frantic voice boomed in.

"ELSIETODAY'SPROSECUTIONISTHEREDEYEDPROSECUTOR!!!" I frowned to myself as I tried to decipher the words that came tumbling out.

"Sakura…could you please steady yourself and tell me what's going on with the prosecution…" I placed the cell phone between my neck and shoulder and continued packing my bag. "Okay okay." Sakura inhaled several long breaths before continuing. "I don't think I might be able to win this case…" I yawned slightly, knowing that she would always have nervous breakdowns before the court case. I proceeded to rub out last night's sleep that had gathered in the corner of my eye. Sakura sighed impatiently.

"The prosecution is extremely tough. Ever heard of the red eyed prosecutor?" I frowned inwardly. Of all people, she should know that I was not sure about popular lawyers!

"What's his name?" I tried to not express my annoyance. I awaited for the reply as Sakura took a couple more deep breaths.

"Uchiha Sasuke." …What?

"C-could you repeat his name again…?" I knew Sakura was slapping her forehead at this very moment. Before she could reply, I screamed.

--- --- ---

Go lawyers who shout "OBJECTION" by day and bartenders who pretend to be therapists by night. Please review!


	2. Turnabout Courtroom

Author's note: Lol I forgot to update … School homework is taking its toll on me … DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE. OBJECTION OVERRULED! And thanks for the cookie munches

POV Alert: Elsie's turn again…

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"Elsiiiiieeeee!!!" The emphasis on my name and the whiny voice was unmistakable. Sakura.

I sighed as I readjusted my glasses once more and gave her a blank look as she started to fiddle around by twirling her hair, meaning that she was nervous. So much for my first exciting day in court. I bet Sakura wouldn't even respond if I had said that her client was going to give himself in. I flipped through the papers for probably umpteenth time as I go through the case to go through the case once more.

"_A student going by the name of Hyuuga Negi was found lying dead near the science block of his school. The only witness and suspect is Uzumaki Naruto who was found near the victim at the time of his death. Cause of death: Electrocution. The defence attorney for this case is Haruno Sakura while the Prosecution is…"_ I shivered slightly after reading through the prosecution's name. I muttered to myself slowly, "It can't be him. It's probably another person. Yea…" I noticed Sakura was clutching her waist a bit too forcefully for faked acting. It was probably just a phase.

Despite my lack of tasks to do at the moment, I would have to say the courtroom was really nicely done. The architecture alone was already marvellous, a nice coppery effect was painted on the give the room a more energetic edge. Rows of seats for the relatives of the victims and such were placed on the left and right of the room; the stand which the judge would be situated later on was placed right on top of the court, probably to seemingly increase the aura of authority, right behind the witness' stand. Sakura and I were situated on the left hand side in the judge's point of view. Sakura moaned softly to herself as she forced herself to straighten up reluctantly. I cast a worried glance in her direction.

"Are you okay?" She smiled wearily at me and opened her mouth to reply. "Scared to death probab—"

The doors suddenly were slammed open, revealing a lady dressed in a black suit with a frilly cravat covering her neck and most of her chest, a white pleated skirt completed the look. She had a sort of defiant aura surrounding her as she straightened the small top hat perched on her head. Grey eyes scanned the crowd as they stopped their chatter to look at the new comer. She grinned slightly to herself.

"GOSH THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE!!" She screamed to herself as she turned behind, ignoring the stares that the people were giving her. "Ne ne ne, is it always like this Sasuke?" Sasuke?! Uh oh…

"Goddamn try to keep your voice down or else I'm never going to bring you to court again…" A low voice growled. The clumsy shuffling of feet could be heard in the background. The girl frowned slightly to herself.

"Hurry up slowpoke. And when will I be coming to court after this," She grinned and quickly added venomously, _"Elder brother."_ A figure soon was revealed. Oh my gosh…

_It was him._

"You would be the suspect and I would foil your plans in murder so badly that you would chew of your arm to see the last of your dear Souseiseki. IN HELL." Red eyes met grey as they both shared a death glare for a split second, and ended up exchanging understanding friendly glances with each other. Stella immediately jumped into the prosecutor's bench. She jumped up and down excitedly and started chattering away, leaving a slightly agitated brother.

"Get off my seat you fool. Apprentices on the other side." He growled as he pushed the girl who seemed like she was on crack. She pouted sulkily as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, elbow on the table.

"I'm not just your apprentice…" She muttered under her breath. Sasuke slapped his own forehead in annoyance. His hairdo was as per normal, several wisps of hair covering his eyes. He was dressed in a sort of typical lawyer suit, almost like the supposed Stella, except his was a darker blue theme with formal pants. The only thing different from this Sasuke and the other at the bar was their eyes. Red versus gentian blue...somehow I doubt that they were two different people.

A squeak could be heard next to me. I spun around immediately and found Sakura trying to swallow something awful. I pat her back slowly but forcefully, resulting in her nearly choking.

"I don't feel so good Elsie…" Her skin was paler than usual and her eyes had lost that usual radiance in the morning. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her face as she gazed wearily at nothing in particular. Suddenly she wrenched forward and induced the vomit barely, the action causing people to stare. I panicked, trying to think of something, but my mind is a complete blank.

"Sakura! Sakura! Pull yourself together!" I pat her shoulder gently. The judge had already taken his stand, and had begun to announce the court case. I shook Sakura more vigorously, despite the fact that it was common logic that you weren't suppose to do that to someone suffering internal pain.

"Is the prosecution ready?" The judge said. Sasuke nodded while Stella twirled a ball point pen in her hand, obviously bored. The judge now noticed Sakura's state.

"Is the defence well enough to start the court case…?" The judge questioned. Sakura tried her best to straighten herself up. Stares were all upon us now; I didn't dare to turn behind in case I had a nervous hysteria too.

"Sakuraaa…" I shook her harder, only to make Sakura puke all over the bench. I may not swear that much at all, but right now I guess it was the appropriate time to do so.

"_SHIT."_

--- --- ---

I twiddled my thumbs as I waited outside the sick bay, having absolutely nothing to do at all. At the most I think the court case would have to be cancelled and postponed to another convenient timing I guess. I started to whistle aimlessly as I waited for Sakura. Everyone in the court started to panic, even the judge himself. Well I have to say he is a little on the senile side himself…

--- --- ---

"_SHIT." I exclaimed and clasped my hands on my mouth by instinct whenever I swore. The whole courtroom was quiet for a moment, then loud arouses could be heard around the court room._

"_Oh my gawd, that's disgusting!"_

"_Eww! She should have stayed at home instead!"_

"_Is she even worthy enough to be a lawyer?"_

"_Great I have to clean that up later…"_

"_WHAT IF SHE HAS AIDS?!"_

"_EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP!!" All heads turned to face at the fuming prosecution, flaring eyes and all. Stella poked him with the ball point pen repeatedly, probably signalling him to calm down. He heaved a great sigh, before continuing with a disinterested look._

"_Would someone just take her to the sick bay…?" I immediately stood up awkwardly. Stares were upon me once again. I blushed slightly and half dragged half supported Sakura out. From the corner of my eye, I knew that Sasuke was casting a worried look at me._

--- --- ---

"Elsie right?" A chirpy voice rang throughout my ear drums. I turned and was surprised to find Stella, a small smile playing on her lips; eyes' casting her regular aura of defiance, in her hand was a small flask. I nodded in response and slightly adjusted my glasses.

"Urm…The judge told me that you were to take over the defence for the time being…" My eyes widened in surprise.

"But I'm just her apprentice!" I exclaimed. Stella tilted her head, giving me a sort of apologetic look.

"The judge's word is final." Stella said. "Anyway Sakura said that you could take over her place anytime, anywhere." I sighed and massage the area behind my eyes. Why does this have to happen to me? Stella grinned wickedly and slapped my back with accented force, causing me to nearly lose my balance.

"At least you get to have some of the action right?" Stella pouted slightly again. "Onii-san would never let me take his place…" Stella rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"You're Elsie right?" I nodded nervously and started to observe the background behind the girl. Stella then handed the flask to me. I then discovered that there was a small note tagged on the side.

"Sasuke said to give this to you…It's strange how he would give up his honey water to the defence…" She paused as if to ponder over the situation, then waved her hand at me.

"Well I guess I have to go now. Bye!" Before I could respond, she was off like the wind. I pulled off the note curiously and read the small post it. I smiled thinly and opened the flask to smell the wafting flavour of honey before returning to the courtroom.

_Elsie,_

_During court you just have to find contradictions in the witness' testimony. And basically deflect the prosecution's statements. I'm sure you should know that by now, but I guess if I were you, I would have instantly went home and ditched the court case. And risk getting fired. I'll _try _to go easy on you. But don't expect me to go soft!_

_Sasuke._

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Oh dear…I didn't write that much for this chapter…Expect more in the next instalment XD. Urm…Stella's just there for kicks X3…BEHOLD! A TSUN! Oh and Sasuke's OOCness has an explaination behind…It'll be explain further in the story. Please review!


	3. Contradictions

Author's notes: By the time you finish reading this, I'll be half dead . Sorry for the late update, just that school work's been taking up most of my time lately…The first part might be a little boring though, but I assure you the second part is nice X3. faints and drools OGEEEE …

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"Sweet mother of mercy, someone kill me now…" I nearly slammed my head on the table, but steadied myself before I puked all over the table like Sakura and ended up giving the cleaners another burden to clean and polish away. The judge was already here, and heck even her intimidating presence gave me another reason to run out of the courtroom and stay at home under the covers. So this was how Sakura felt like when the court session was about to start…

"I TOLD YOU I WANTED ANCHOVIES ON MY PIZZA! NOT PEPPERONI!!" The judge screamed at the pizza delivery man, her two blonde ponytails waving around in aggravation. I think her name was Tsunade or something…I couldn't quite remember names properly.

"ELSIE!!!" A slap was delivered on my back, nearly sending me to a concussion. The chirpy voice nearly reminded me of Sakura, but to my dismay, it was only Stella. She swiftly sat on the polished tabletop and continued chewing on her strawberry Pocky stick.

"I SO CAN'T WAIT FOR THE COURT CASE!!" Stella exclaimed before biting of another quarter of the snack. I sighed and rubbed my temples, unconsciously letting out a sigh. Stella glanced at me and gave a broad smile. "Cheer up! I mean it's not your fault if you lose the case!"

"But what if I do…" I muttered under my breath, but Stella was able to pick up my supposed quiet whispering. "Oh noes someone's being emo." Stella pushed in the rest of the Pocky stick into her mouth with her index finger, tossing it into the bin nearby.

"Just slam the table and look confident. That's it."

"I have absolutely no experience at all, how can I just trust my intuition alone!" I sighed wearily and glanced at Stella. She was examining the Pocky stick with half lidded eyes. She obviously didn't hear what I had just said.

"My bro broke the table into half once." Stella said with little interest. I stared at her with wide eyes at the mention of Sasuke. BROKE THE TABLE?! She looked at me with an unsurprised gaze.

"Serious. He can be really scary at times." I half groaned and didn't stop myself from slamming the table. Stella gave a small chuckle and patted me on the back. "Good luck, oh, and make sure you get health insurance just in case." With that, she walked off to the other side of the courtroom. I steadied myself with futile effort. I've read and gone through the procedures on how to act in court, but I didn't know that it would be this scary, waiting for the session to start, especially if it was my very first time.

The soft chatter was quieting down, the atmosphere tensing up by a notch. I breathed in a huge breath and exhaled.

Court was now in session.

The judge read the autopsy out loud, but it seemed that his voice was untouchably far away. Shivering nervously, I reached out for the flask and removed the lid. I placed my trembling lips on the rim, trying to stop my tears from falling. The sweet scent of the drink invaded my senses once more, calming my frayed nerves almost instantly. Remembering the note, I gathered the rest of my guts and put on a strong front. You can do this Elsie…With unlimited honey water that is.

"Is the defence ready?" The judge questioned. I nodded my head in response, feeling much better already. The judge turned her head to ask the prosecution.

"Is the prosecution ready?" Sasuke was scowling at his sister, the said sibling snickering under her breath. The judge heaved a sigh, and asked again.

"IS THE PROSECUTION READY? I CAN'T WAIT FOREVER I HAVE A FACIAL APPOINTMENT AT SIX!" Tsunade screamed, nearly resorting to flailing her arms around in a comical manner. Sasuke glanced at the judge and nodded briefly, the two settling down quickly. The judge cleared his throat before continuing.

"Who would the prosecution like to call to the stand today?" Sasuke pondered over for a moment, his eyes flashing with sheer determination. Stella half stood and motioned for Sasuke to bend down. She whispered something into his ear and sat back on her own seat with a satisfied "plonk".

"The suspect." Several murmurs could be heard around the room. That would be…Naruto right?

"BRING THE SUSPECT ON THE STAND!!" Tsunade slammed the mallet. The bailiff immediately dragged in a blonde with a small frame, a flu mask covering almost half of his face. Cerulean eyes stared at the floor innocently, with a tinge of guilt. Naruto walked to the stand and glanced worriedly in my direction, probably wondering where Sakura was. Sasuke cleared his throat before continuing.

"Name and profession." Naruto took a deep breath, before letting out a huge grin under his flu mask.

"Na—ACHOO!" He sneezed and blew into a tissue in a comical fashion. "Uzumaki Naruto. Profession…" He pondered for a while. "Student of the Konoha University." The prosecution glared at Naruto for a split second before continuing.

"It was said that you were at the crime scene when Hyuuga Neji was murdered, am I correct?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto flinched at the name, then stuck his nose in the air in annoyance.

"So what? He was a pompous asshole anyway." Stella smirked at the comment and withdrew another Pocky packet from her briefcase. The judge slammed the mallet.

"There will be no vulgarities in my court. Would the witness," the judge paused dramatically for a moment." Or suspect, tell us what you knew about Hyuuga Neji before we start with the cross examination?" The suspect heaved an inaudible sigh.

"I didn't know anything about him." Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously and continued to glare at the floor. "'Cept he was badmouthing Hinata."

"Who is this "Hinata" person?" The judge asked. Sasuke took out a slip of paper and tapped on the surface gently, his eyes giving a disinterested look.

"It was said to be the suspect's current girlfriend," Sasuke let out a small precarious smirk. "And the victim's cousin." Several murmurs could be heard, but was silenced immediately by the slam of a mallet.

"Hyuuga Hinata…Even her name has a bittersweet feeling." Sasuke retrieved a photo from the victim's autopsy. "Luckily for us, a few witnesses' who were passing by took a photo of the crime scene. The defence might want to have a look at this." I glanced at the mention and saw a small glint of calmness that the old Sasuke had, before it disappeared completely into the deep pools of crimson irises.

I fetched the copy of the victim's autopsy. A small photo slipped out from the folder. A man with a leather coat was lying on the floor, a medicine bottle on his side. An electric wire was dangling precariously in midair, probably the cause of his death. True enough, a snapshot of Naruto was there. Without his flu mask, a few whisker like marks could be seen on his cheek.

"Would the suspect then tell us of what had happened on that faithful day?" The judge spoke in her usual booming voice. Naruto sneezed again, his flu mask nearly falling off. He pulled it back, resulting in the mask snapping it back on his face. He let out a small deflated noise, immediately regretting the action.

"AHEM." Naruto jumped in surprise, then realized where he was.

"Oh urm…I don't really remember much on that day, 'cause I had this killer headache…" Naruto gently tapped his head for added effect, grinning sheepishly. Really, this boy was still a kid at heart…

"Would you just tell us what happened already…" The judge moaned. Naruto grinned once more before starting.

"As I had said earlier I don't really remember much…I don't really know that much about Neji anyway..." He paused for a second and narrowed his eyes again. "But he was a British loving jerk anyway…" The prosecution frowned slightly.

"Gee, that was short." Stella announced out loud, unconsciously chewing on her Pocky stick. Sasuke nudged her in the waist in exasperation, Stella letting out a small "oomph" before glaring at him back.

"Does the defence know what to do next?" I glanced at the judge, then at Sasuke. He had a small distant look on his face, as if torn between reality and fiction. At last he nodded in response, Stella casting a questioning look in his direction, continuing to chew on her snack.

"We would start the cross examination right?" I asked nervously. The defence's job was to find any contradictions in the testimony, I remembered Sakura telling me that once. The prosecution's main job was just to object the defence's statements with any concrete proof that the defence had overlooked and generally, make the client guilty. The judge nodded in response.

I began to ponder over the situation. The testimony was so short, how could I crack this one? I secretly hoped that Sakura's very own suspect wouldn't lie to me…But somehow I was starting to have doubts now. Think Elsie…He did say that he didn't know much about the victim…I glanced at the photo, hoping for some sort of answer to pop out from nowhere.

"_But he was a British loving jerk anyway…"_

British loving jerk? Didn't he say that he didn't know much about the victim?

"Umm…" I started out nervously. All eyes were on me now. Would the girl lose the claim, saying that she couldn't find anything? Or would she prove them wrong? I continued on.

"The suspect did say that he didn't know much about the victim right?" I asked. Naruto grinned at me under his mask. "Yup!" I frowned inwardly. So he _was_ lying to me.

"Then how did you know that he was a "British loving jerk"?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, then looked at the floor with a guilty look on his face. Several murmurs could be heard around the courtroom again, excited that the new comer had some edge. The slam of the mallet rang throughout the room.

"ORDER! I WILL HAVE ORDER!" The judge exclaimed. "Does the prosecution have anything to add?" Sasuke nodded.

"Would the suspect please further clarify on your knowledge of the victim?" Naruto bit his bottom lip for a moment, then grinned again.

"I really didn't know anything about Neji." The prosecution frowned and continued.

"As the defence had said earlier on, how did you know that the victim was a "British loving jerk"?" Naruto paused for a moment.

"Urm…He…ACHOO! Sorr—ACHOO! ACHOOACHOO!!" Sasuke slammed the table defiantly. "Would the suspect's phlegm please stop getting in the way?" Stella laughed at the comment before taking a whole box of Pocky from under the table and took another packet. Sasuke frowned, his eye twitching.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING SO MUCH POCKY INTO THE COURTROOM!" Sasuke whispered dangerously. Unfortunately Stella didn't catch the tone of his voice and opened the packet in her hands.

"You didn't mention the quantity," She retrieved a stick from the packet and nibbled on the top. "And plus, this whole "not bringing too much Pocky" thing is really starting to annoy me. Really, I can't even get on a sugar high nowadays." Stella pushed the stick into her mouth and took another stick. The judge rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Would the prosecution's apprentice please stop eating in the courtroom…?" Stella's eyes widened in shock and dismay, and stood up immediately.

"I OBJECT TO THAT STATEMENT! I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT POCKY! WITHOUT IT, I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN NOT EAT SEVENTY SIX AND A HALF PACKETS A DAY, WHICH IS THE MINIMUM." Stella slammed the table, her eyes shining in terrible disgust.

"Oh oh, can I have a pack!" Naruto pleaded. Stella threw a death glare at him.

"THE SUSPECT IS NOT ALLOWED TO EAT POCKY." Stella whispered dangerously, seething with rage. Naruto shrunk back, now absolutely terrified by the Pocky obsessed girl.

"ORDER ORDER! THERE WILL NOT BE ARGUING OF POCKY IN THIS COURT!" The judge slammed the mallet in annoyance.

"Would the suspect please emphasize on what he meant by "I didn't know about the victim"?" The prosecution questioned, glancing at Stella and removing the box of Pocky from the table. Stella let out a small whimper, which in result earned her a glare.

"Umm…How I knew that he was a British snob was that…" Naruto pondered for a split second before continuing. "Was that he had a really big Union Jack on the back of his shirt! Ya that's it!" The judge thought over the statement for a while, then asked.

"What's a Union Jack?" The prosecution had a sort of deflated look on his face.

"It's something like the rising sun on Japan's flag, your honour." The judge thought for a moment.

"So…it's something like the flag of England?" The prosecution heaved an inaudible sigh.

"As usual, the honour is still bright as a light bulb." Stella let out a small snicker before finishing her packet.

"So…He wore a T shirt with a Union Jack at the back?" I asked. Naruto gave a small grin and nodded happily. That can't be right…

"Did he wear the T shirt on the day of the murder?" I asked. Naruto nodded again fervently. "That was the first time I saw him in fact! Who knew Hinata's cousin looked so girly." He snickered quietly to himself. I pondered for a while, then stared at the photo again.

"_There's nothing I can refer to…"_ I thought to myself. The victim lay helplessly on the floor, eyes shut closed. I then realized the loop in the testimony.

"Are you sure he wore the T shirt?" I questioned slowly. Naruto nodded again, grinning widely beneath the mask. I could see from the corner of my eye that Sasuke had realized where I was going to.

"How did you know…" Naruto looked at me questioningly. "That he was wearing that T shirt when he was wearing his leather jacket in the photo?" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, and added sheepishly. "I saw him wearing the same T shirt on several other occasions!" I raised an eyebrow. "But you just said that it was the first time you saw him…" Naruto now glanced at the floor with a distant look in his eyes. It seemed that time had stopped, till a sob rang throughout the courtroom.

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Wow … extra long this time XD! Please don't forget to review!


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